Man Pleads Guilty in Plan to Aid Taliban May 11, 2007
Posted by Scarecrow in 11/28/06 Associated Press.add a comment
Associated Press
Man Pleads Guilty in Plan to Aid Taliban
HOUSTON (AP) — A Houston man pleaded guilty after he and a Pakistani living illegally in the United States were charged with conspiring to join the Taliban and fight against U.S. forces, federal prosecutors said Tuesday.
Kobie Diallo Williams, 33, and Adnan Babar Mirza, 29, underwent training in guns and reconnaissance in the Houston area in preparation for joining up with the Taliban, prosecutors said.
The two men were charged with conspiracy. Mirza, a Pakistani who overstayed a student visa, also was charged with violating federal gun laws.
Williams, a U.S. citizen and a student also known as Abdul Kabir, surrendered Tuesday to members of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to the conspiracy charge. Mirza was already in custody on immigration violations.
“While these subjects did not operate at a high level of sophistication in comparison with the 9-11 hijackers, the expressed goal was to aid the Taliban by training to carry out jihad against coalition troops in the Middle East,” said Roderick Beverly, the head of the FBI’s Houston office.
Federal prosecutors also said Williams had provided about $350 to Taliban members or their families.
Williams’ attorney, Alamdar S. Hamdani, said Williams chose not to fight the charges.
“He made a grave mistake,” said Hamdani. “And he has come forward to own up to that.”
Prosecutors could not say on Tuesday whether Mirza had an attorney.
Williams and Mirza were held without bail. Williams could get up to five years in prison, Mirza 35 years.
The indictment said Williams and Mirza viewed U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan and Iraq as “invaders” and decided in April 2005 that they should travel to the Middle East to fight with the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Copyright 2006 Associated Press
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